Gute Reise!

After months of anticipation, my oldest son and I are finally really getting ready for a European adventure.  Our passports are handy and we’ve got an itinerary, but it is a loose one.  I’m really not a fan of creating a detailed travel plan much preferring to familiarize myself with possible activities but not filling in each day until we’re actually there.  I mean who knows what the weather is going to be like or how we’ll be feeling?  It’s vacation, not work, right?

Our plans include Easter in the Black Forest with family, hopefully a day trip to Alsace, touring some of the WW II sights in Belgium and Luxembourg and a couple of days in Amsterdam to get a little crazy wrap things up. The only specific commitment I made in advance was to purchase tickets for the Anne Frank Haus and book hotel reservations.  The hotel reservations, incidentally, were made using Priceline and I was really pleased with the rate I paid and the hotel’s appearance and location.  Stay tuned for how that all works out, ok?

My hopes for the trip are:

• Quality time with my family and Liam

• Good beer, wine and food

• Decent weather

• Lots of relaxing, along with some fun runs

I haven’t been to this part of Europe in many, many years and I’m excited.  The area of Germany where my family is from is beautiful and I can’t wait to see it again with my son – and eat some of that delicious wurst, of course!  This is actually Liam’s third trip to the homeland, but it is the first one he will (hopefully) remember for the rest of his life.  He is really looking forward to seeing where the Battle of the Bulge was waged and gaining some firsthand knowledge of a period of history that he finds fascinating.  I’m just thrilled to be able to provide Liam with an opportunity to actually see something that holds such a deep interest for him.  And get him his first beer.

If any of you have any suggestions – where to get a great Rijstaffel in Amsterdam, tips for minimizing fees to exchange currency (beyond using an ATM card to get local currency), suggestions for phone/internet access or things you think we should try to fit in, please share.  Like any restaurant server, I’m always happy to get a good tip.